Just scored a used RG in great shape. I'm confused as to what model it is exactly. It's a 1998 MIJ, two humbuckers , LO Pro, a quilted maple top with a transparent brown finish. It's a little heavy compared to Basswood RG's I've had and the grain is viewable on the back and it looks like it might be a mahogany body.

Just scored a used RG in great shape. I'm confused as to what model it is exactly. It's a 1998 MIJ, two humbuckers , LO Pro, a quilted maple top with a transparent brown finish. It's a little heavy compared to Basswood RG's I've had and the grain is viewable on the back and it looks like it might be a mahogany body.

Yeah 8 got mine dirt cheap. I love the dual humbucker layout but I have to say so far I prefer basswood to mahogany for an RG

If it still has the stock p'ups in it, I'd wager they're part of the reason. The stock V7 and V8 sounded to harsh and ice-pick like in all of my 520qs. I only have one left now, but I loaded mine with Suhr Doug Aldrich p'ups and it really opened up the sound of the guitar. With the right p'ups I think the 520qs are of the best bang for your buck guitars you can get on the used market.

The 520 is pretty underrated for the specs. Colours were limited though and not flattering - if Ibanez only did a VV type finish... I wanted one back in the day but had to settle for its poorer MIK sibling, the 320.

The RG520QS was a guitar that sounded great on paper--the classic RG shape, no ugly pickguard, original edge bridge, and a quilted sapele top with a translucent finish. The problem was the usual problem with Ibanez--ungodly awful color selections. At the time, PRS was the king of the guitar world (seemed like every terrible post-grunge band played PRS into a Mesa Rectifier) and everyone was scrambling to provide eye-popping trans finishes over figured wood tops. Somehow, Ibanez offered the blandest, murkiest looking choices (chocolate brown and dark, dark blue). So from ten feet away, they just looked like blue and brown RGs.